The Interstate 8 Border Patrol checkpoint east of San Diego snagged more than a million dollars worth of cocaine headed to America’s streets yesterday.

Border Patrol agents became suspicious of a 52-year-old male Mexican national, who was driving a green Peterbilt semi-truck when he stopped at the checkpoint. Their suspicions were confirmed during the secondary inspection when the K-9 team located illegal narcotics.

The Border Patrol K-9 team located the cocaine near the rear-side of the passenger panel inside the truck. “Agents searched the truck and discovered a total of 42 bundles of cocaine concealed inside of an air vent,” CBP agents said.

“The cocaine weighed a total 107.48 pounds and had an estimated street value of $1,074,800. The suspected smuggler and narcotics were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration,” according to agents.

The tractor trailer was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.Advertisement

Since October 1, 2010, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized more than 2,300 pounds of cocaine, more than 540 pounds of methamphetamine and 68,550 pounds of marijuana.

However, just like Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration bill SB1070, parts of the newly-minted law will hit the cutting-room floor

A President George H.W. Bush appointee, U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn, said in her opinion that some of the tough immigration law provisions conflicted with other federal statutes, but many enforcement requirements were lawful.

Judge Blackburn explained that federal law does not prohibit checking legal status of K-12 school students, allowing law enforcement officers to hold suspected illegal aliens without bond, make it a felony to do state business with illegal aliens, or make illegal immigration a misdemeanor if immigrants are unable to provide legal papers at some point.

However, the judge’s order continued to block four key parts of Alabama’s illegal immigration law until she could further.Advertisement

These measures include; making it a crime for illegal aliens to solicit work at day labor sites, allowing illegal aliens to file discrimination lawsuits after the illegal worker is fired, making it a crime to knowingly hire, harbor or transport an illegal alien and preventing business owners’ from taking any tax deductions on wages paid to illegal alien employees.

Church leaders who opposed Alabama’s tough new illegal immigration law released a statement about the judge’s ruling; “We are pleased to see some of the harsh and far-reaching elements of the law have been struck down. We feel that many of these elements, written by members of the State House and Senate who campaign on Christianity, are not representative of the message of Christ who welcomed the stranger despite country of origin or status,” the group believed.

Judge Blackburn did not release a date when the constitutionality component of her ruling would be revealed.

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With seizures of marijuana along the southern border reaching record levels, a memo from the New York Police Department commissioner’s office said it will end arrests for the procession of small portions of pot.

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly issued an internal memo to officers informing them not to report or charge offenders who happen to have small amounts of marijuana.

Kelly’s directive orders officers to overlook misdemeanor marijuana possession when the pot becomes ‘public’ after a person is asked to empty their pockets.

“As arrests for possession of minor amounts of marijuana have exploded over the last 10 years, the NYCLU has been working to protect New Yorkers from these senseless and illegal arrests,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “Today’s disclosure implicitly recognizes that police officers have gone too far. This comes as no surprise to the more than 100,000 people, predominantly black and Latino, who have been arrested over just the last two years.”Advertisement

New York has already decriminalized the possession of marijuana, but the NYCLU contends police officers target minorities, require them to empty their pockets and then charge them with possession of an illegal substance. The NYCLU also says police officers are suppose to issue a ticket rather than put them in jail and force them to appear before a judge.

“In addition to this new order, however, the NYPD must now commit resources to training and monitoring officers to put an end to its decade-long marijuana arrest program and start complying with the Constitution and New York law. If it does so, we should see a huge drop in the number of marijuana arrests,” Lieberman finished.

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The nation’s busiest international port of entry in San Diego was shut down last night after a pedestrian unexpectedly waved a fake gun prompting Custom Border Protection (CBP) agents to shoot the man as he fled into the U.S.

The shooting incident happened at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, at the pedestrian crossing area, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency spokeswoman Jackie Wasiluk said.

Wasiluk told reporters that the agency temporarily suspended processing of all northbound pedestrian travelers. Authorities continued to investigate the incident, but have not released the name or the nationality of the man who was shot.

CBP agents did not explain what led to the shooting of the man, but those at the scene described the weapon a starter-type gun (used in track events).

The San Diego Police Department released a statement regarding the event. The unnamed man “approached a pedestrian booth and attempted to walk through without being fully screened” by CBP border agents.Advertisement

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After weeks of speculation, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department ruled two suspicious deaths of Max Shacknai, 6, an accident and Rebecca Zahau, 32, a suicide. However, the law enforcement ruling didn’t jibe with Zahau’s family.

Now that media have obtained Sheriff Department warrants and medical examiner reports the mysterious deaths have launched family, Coronado residents and conspiracy theorists to poke holes in the case that grabbed national attention this summer.

The deaths took place in a multi-million dollar mansion located in an upscale sleepy beach-side San Diego community and involve billionaire Jonah Shacknai, who earned his wealth in the lucrative beauty products industry.

A few weeks of tough media scrutiny regarding Shacknai’s possible involvement has prompted the billionaire took write a letter to the California Attorney General. Shacknai asked the state attorney to conduct a second review in order to end any more speculation that the deaths were nothing more than coincidental accidents.Advertisement

San Diego authorities reported that the July 13 nude hanging death of Zahau, whose hands and feet were tied behind her back, were self-inflicted. The Sheriff concluded Zahau’s motive for suicide was the news she received via voicemail that the son of her billionaire boyfriend, who fell from the second story of the famous mansion two days earlier, would most likely succumb to his head injuries.

However, some investigators say there was no such call on her ATT phone bill. The medical examiner’s report also unrevealed new details the Sheriff Department failed to disclose at the conclusion of their investigation.

The first detail is tape residue on Zahau’s wrists and ankles. There was no tape recovered near the crime scene. And the second surprise were unexplained contusions to her head.

Once the new investigation elements were released, the media began the feeding frenzy that ultimately led Shacknai to write the attorney general and request another look into the “undeniably strange circumstances” surrounding his son and girlfriend.

“Following the enormous losses of Max and Rebecca, it is intolerable to sit back and watch my other children and the rest of my family, and my former wife Dina’s family, tormented with these unfounded rumors and accusations,” Shacknai said in a portion of the letter to the attorney general.

Leading the charge against the San Diego Sheriff Department’s ruling is Zahau’s sister, Mary, who repeatedly told authorities and the media that her sister would never take her life. Mary Zahau said her sister’s Christian religious beliefs would prevent her from taking her life and the fact she was found nude with a t-shirt stuffed in her mouth raised even more red flags.

“We just know truth prevails,” she said. “I’m in the process of finding out the truth about who killed my sister.”

Despite the family’s objections to the Sheriff Department investigation conclusion, Sheriff Bill Gore remains steadfast in his department’s abilities and said; “Science is our best witness in this case. It is not biased and it doesn’t lie.”

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If Illinois residents are facing deportation threats, there is a new telephone hotline available that will dispense advice.

The confusion of deportation proceedings will become a little easier for those who call volunteers at the Jane Addams Hull House.

The new hotline will provide information regarding attorneys, social services and comfort for illegal aliens under the threat of deportation. The 24-hour-a-day service will be staffed by volunteers and is modeled after similar homeless or domestic violence centers.

The volunteers have been provided with deportation proceeding checklists in order to determine the right course of action for illegal immigrants and provides assistance in Spanish, Korean, Portuguese and English.

“In the last five years, 48,330 people have been deported from the Chicago ICE region, leaving an estimated 80,550 children without a parent,” the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee told NBC Chicago. “The ICIRR is partnering with 35 social service agencies … to launch the country’s first 24-hour hotline for families facing the crisis of deportation.” Advertisement

Those needing help with deportation proceedings can call 855-435-7693 or 855-HELP-MY-F(amily).

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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the district court’s decision in Comité de Jornaleros de Redondo Beach v. City of Redondo Beach that struck down the City of Redondo Beach’s anti-solicitation ordinance as a “facially unconstitutional restriction on speech.”

The court cited the “well-established principles of First Amendment law,” and the court concluded that the city’s “Ordinance fails to satisfy the narrow tailoring element of the Supreme Court’s time, place and manner test.”

“Today’s decision sets a strong precedent [for] day laborer rights and stands as one in a line of successful cases brought by MALDEF on behalf of the rights of day laborers in the Ninth Circuit over the last dozen years,” a Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) statement read.

“Today’s en banc Ninth Circuit opinion resoundingly vindicates the First Amendment rights of day laborers throughout the western United States,” Thomas Saenz, MALDEF President and General Counsel said. “Dozens of similar ordinances throughout the region that purport to prevent day laborers from speaking on sidewalks are now even more plainly violative of the Constitution. Each municipality with such an ordinance should immediately suspend and repeal its law. The longstanding principle that the right of free speech belongs to everyone has been significantly bolstered by this decision.”Advertisement

The Executive Director of National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), Pablo Alvarado, also commented on today’s decision.

“Today’s decision is an outcome of a struggle in the courts and in the streets that began in the early 90’s. The ordinances were intended to render day laborers invisible; but the struggle against these ordinances has made day laborers more visible, more powerful.”

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San Diego Border Patrol agents arrested a legal resident for smuggling more than 330 pounds of cocaine inside a tractor trailer at the Interstate 8 checkpoint.

Agents encountered the 46-year-old male Mexican national at the checkpoint driving a bright red Freightliner tractor trailer. During the inspection process, Border Patrol became suspicious of the driver’s nervous demeanor and sent him to the secondary inspection station.

“A Border Patrol K-9 team performed a cursory inspection of the tractor trailer resulting in a positive alert. Further inspection revealed two non-factory compartments inside the fuel tanks,” said Scott Simon, Border Patrol AgentSan Diego Sector Information and Communication Division. “Agents discovered 130 bundles of cocaine with a total weight of more than 334 pounds and an estimated street value of $3,346,600 inside the compartments.”

In a separate apprehension, Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Interstate 15 checkpoint nabbed a 21-year-old male U.S. citizen for smuggling 78 bundles of marijuana in the rear seat and trunk of his vehicle. “The total weight of the drugs was more than 416 pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $250, 000,” Simon said.Advertisement

Border Patrol said the suspected smugglers and illicit narcotics were taken into custody and respectively turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Border Patrol Agents seized all the vehicles.

Since October 1, 2010, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized more than 2,100 pounds of cocaine, 473 pounds of methamphetamine, and 68,550 pounds of marijuana.

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The San Diego County Board of Supervisors took one step away from sanctuary-city leanings today and adopted the use of E-Verify for all new hires.

Chairman Bill Horn and Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who introduced the new county regulation, garnered enough support from other County Supervisors to implement the federal Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification System (E-Verify) for all new County employees.

The federal government computer system, E-Verify, is assessable online and determines if prospective employees are legally able to work in the U.S.

DHS champions the E-Verify program that is used by both private and public sectors with a 96.8 accuracy rate.

“This is a positive step for the County, especially in tough economic times,” San Diego County Supervisor and Chairman Horn explained. “E-Verify is a way to help ensure that jobs are only going to those who can legally be employed and protect businesses and eligible job-seekers, all at no cost to the County. I would like to see if this can be used to require county contractors to implement the program.”Advertisement

The County of San Diego will start the implementation process by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) establishing the city’s new E-Verify requirement.

“I’m optimistic that this important step will preserve jobs for legally-eligible workers by upgrading to a system superior to the one the county currently uses,” said Supervisor Jacob. “I will be tracking the effectiveness of E-verify to see whether wider use will help turn off the jobs magnet that encourages illegal immigration.”

The federal E-Verify program compares information provided by a prospective employee, like Green Cards or Social Security numbers, to DHS and Social Security Administration records that keep track of employment status. San Diego will begin using E-Verify on October 21, 2011.

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NBA Basketball great and former Los Angeles Laker, Magic Johnson announced today he will partner with Edison Learning, a New York education company, that seeks to curb school dropout rates in urban cities.

The basketball MVP said he is shooting to end the sky-rocketing student dropout rates in urban cities and will accomplish this challenging task by setting up dropout prevention and recovery centers.

The “Magic Johnson-Edison Learning Assist,” program will work with Edison Learning to keep at-risk disadvantaged youths interested in a high-school diploma.

“Improving the quality of life for people residing in urban areas is my life’s passion,” Johnson explained as his reason to address the broken government (public) education system. “When just over 40 percent of students in Los Angeles, Houston, and Baltimore are graduating from high school, and less than 30 percent of black males in New York, Detroit and Miami, steps need to be taken to recapture thesestudents into the education system to better their opportunities in life.”

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An Edison Learning spokesperson, Michael Serpe said they are the school turnaround experts and operate more than 390 schools in the U.S., England and the Middle East. The company sets out to encourage youths to stay in school and even return to school after they dropout by providing high-tech learning centers open before and after public schools traditionally close.

The NBA star, Johnson, is not paying for the centers, says Serpe. “The basketball hall-of-famer is, however, lending his name to the centers, which will be branded ‘Magic Johnson Bridgescape Learning Centers.’”

Serpe contends that the attachment of Magic’s name, as well as his presence, will garner more awareness for the centers and hopefully boost enrollment.

Serpe said Edison Learning is currently negotiating with Los Angeles Unified School District officials about operating centers in urban LA.

“The education professionals at Edison Learning have established a solid record for improving urban and under-performing schools,” Johnson said. “The work they have done on behalf of children in some of the most challenging schools and communities in the nation are the reason I chose to work with them in this effort.”